Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Arévalo & Arbenz
Just when it appeared that Guatemala was doomed to a succession of harsh dictators, the
elections of 1945 brought a philosopher - Juan José Arévalo - to the presidency. Arévalo,
in power from 1945 to 1951, established the nation's social security system, a bureau of in-
digenous affairs, a modern public health system and liberal labor laws. He also survived 25
coup attempts by conservative military forces.
Arévalo was succeeded by Colonel Jacobo Arbenz, who continued Arévalo's policies,
instituting agrarian reforms designed to break up the large estates and foster productivity on
small, individually owned farms. He also expropriated vast, unused lands conceded to the
United Fruit Company during the Estrada Cabrera and Ubico years. Compensation was
paid at the value declared for tax purposes (far below its real value), and Arbenz announced
that the lands were to be redistributed to peasants and put into cultivation for food. The an-
nouncement set off alarms in Washington and in 1954 the US, in one of the first documen-
ted covert operations by the CIA, orchestrated an invasion from Honduras. Arbenz stepped
down, and the land reform never took place.
Arbenz was succeeded by a series of military presidents. More covert (but well docu-
mented) support came from the US government, in the form of money and counterinsur-
gency training. Violence became a staple of political life, land reforms were reversed, vot-
ing was made dependent on literacy (disenfranchising around 75% of the population), the
secret police force was revived and military repression was common.
In 1960, left-wing guerrilla groups began to form.
Searching for Everardo, by US attorney Jennifer K Harbury, tells how she fell in love with and married a URNG
guerrilla leader who then disappeared in combat, and of her dedicated and internationally publicized
struggles with the US and Guatemalan governments - including a hunger strike outside the White House
- to discover his fate.
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search